RE: The indictment of Bonds is just plain wrong ESPN.com Article

To Jemelle Hill,

I completely disagree with your point of view in the article on ESPN.com that you expressed about Barry Bonds.

And despite the fact that you are saying that you do not advocate telling lies to the federal government you are in fact saying that Bonds should not be punished for doing just that.

To me the difference between Conte, McGwire, Palmeiro and then Bonds is that the other three chose to plead the 5th amendment right to freedom from self incrimination. Had Bonds done the same he would have been treated in a similiar manner. Instead he chose to defy the authorities at the highest level. A lie is not a lie in Federal Court....it is a crime. In terms of the "obstruction to justice" charge, Bonds deserves that as well. Conte, Palmeiro, McGwire did not obstruct justice because they did not lie. They instead refused to speak about it and that would force the authorities to prove it. As far as Palmeiro and McGwire are concerned, the federal governments is not spending money investigating them because THEY HAVE NOT BEEN LINKED TO BALCO. Bonds caused the federal government to spend more money, time, and effort by not telling what he knows about a federal case because he wanted to protect his own interests just like the others. THE ONE EXCEPTION is that instead of keeping quiet and refusing to self-incriminate...he LIED. His lies are what caused the obstruction. Additionally, his choices to preserve the self caused the the federal government time, money and effort by forcing them go without his testimoney in order to build a case against BALCO and Conte. Yes...Bonds would have caused them to spend these same resources had he pleaded the fifth but it is not up to Barry Bonds to dictate when the federal government should spend that money. By telling lies he FORCED them to spend more.

In short, EVERY American has the right to the 5th Amendment, black, white, hispanic(like myself) or any other race. NO American of any race has the right to lie about his or her involvement in a federal investigation.

Justice is being served at all levels.